WATER and STONE

'Christ and the Woman of Samaria at the Well' a carved relief in the cloister of the Reid Memorial Church in Edinburgh. Unlike so many portrayals of this scene from the Middle Ages and Renaissance which featured Christ and the Samarian woman alone at the well Carrick composed a group scene. This seems appropriate as the biblical story is about the spreading of the word. Carrick focused on the later part of the tale when the disciples had returned with food and the woman had brought the townsfolk to see this prophet. Carrick composed the relief carefully with the arms of the figures and particularly the folds of their robes flowing across the scene like water which seems to emanate from the figure of Christ rather like an oveflowing spring, Jesus is portrayed as the font of all knowledge. The work is sited appropriately above a water trough and would be viewed to advantage when reflected in the water, but unfortunately the lead lined trough has always been dry whenever I have visited.
Left - The flowing robes of the enthroned Christ in the carved tympanum above the West Door of Chartres Cathedral is reminiscent of Carrick's figure and perhaps he drew on this medieval source. He may also have been thinking of Reiner of Huy's baptismal font at St. Bartholomew's, Liege. Its a pity Carrick never kept a diary as so much must now remain conjecture.

(Not far from this is Carricks relief of 'Geology' in Edinburgh University's King's Buildings, both in the Newington District of Edinburgh)